Photo Essay

 

INTRODUCTION

Public bicycle sharing services have become a common part of inner-city transportation in Taiwan for many years now. It seems like a new U-Bike docking cluster appears in a new place every week, allowing an ever-growing number of people access to low-cost transportation. Yet while it is clear that such vehicles offer us convenience and general health benefits, what does the research say to justify the expansion of public bicycle sharing programs?

You-bike is a common public bicycle sharing platform, accounting for more than 85% of all public bike usage in Taiwan by December of 2022. It is located in 11 cities all over the island, and the number of bicycles available for use has tripled in the past five years. Most single commutes are between two and three kilometers. Riders are primarily very young, with 46% of total ridership between the ages of 16 and 25. Elderly riders between the ages of 61 to 68 also make up a significant part of total riders with 29%. [1]

THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC BICYCLE SHARING PROGRAMS

1. Reduced CO2 emissions and noise pollution

One positive effect of public bicycle-sharing services is a reduction of air and noise pollution. According to one study published in Applied Energy, a bicycle rider emits just .015% of carbon dioxide per kilometer and .0002% of nitrous oxide compared to a motor scooter going the same distance. If we expand this to thousands of vehicles using the streets in our cities each hour, the air quality index could improve by over 90% [2]. Furthermore, because bicycles are nearly silent, an average noise index of 65 dBs (decibels) could be achieved if only 20% of motorcyclists traded their vehicles for a bicycle [Ibid.]. Our cities could become very tranquil compared to the present.

2. Improved physical and emotional health

Another positive effect of public bicycle-sharing services is an improvement to a rider’s physical and emotional health. Cyclists burn an average of 30 calories for each kilometer they ride, and this helps them maintain a stabile healthy weight. They also develop stronger leg and arm muscles, and their lung capacity for oxygen use can double over those who do not ride bicycles [3]. There is also evidence that bicycle riding can enhance the emotional health of riders.  According to one poll, riders claim they feel less stressed out about riding to work than if they had to drive a car. [4]

3. Improved economics

One final effect of public bicycle sharing programs is their positive economic impact. If a person chooses to ride, s/he can save considerable money on monthly transportation expenses. When used together with a multi-use public transportation card, cyclists in Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Tainan spend only NT$1,000 / month on combined railway, light rail, subway, and U-Bike usage. That means no upkeep of motorcycles or cars, no need to buy gasoline, and no insurance costs either. When compared to the average costs of owning a motorcycle, one could save over 50% on their transportation expenses by riding [5].

CONCLUSION

Public bicycle sharing services offer users several nice benefits that impact both themselves and the surrounding community. Riders help reduce noise and air pollution, maintain good physical fitness, and enjoy an economical way to get around. Although riding is not suitable for everyone, the governments of many cities in Taiwan are convinced of the benefits of public bicycle sharing and have pledged to support the companies that operate them. You can expect to see more and more yellow U-bikes on the roads in the coming months and years. 

REFERENCES

1. https://www.youbike.com.tw/region/main/rate/YouBike 微笑單車 (in Traditional Chinese). Retrieved 2023-10-05.

2. Zhang , Y. and Mi, Z. (2018). Environmental benefits of bike sharing: A big data-based analysis. Applied Energy, 220. 296-301.

3. Park, J.; Honda, Y.; Fujii, S.; Kim, S.E. Air Pollution and Public Bike-Sharing System Ridership in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability 2022, 14, 3861. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14073861

4. Chen, Y., He, K., and Deveci, M. (2023, May). Health impacts of bike sharing system – A case study of Shanghai. Journal of Transport & Health,30.

5. Harris, M. Benefits of Bike Sharing Programs: A Guide to Understanding the Value of Bicycle Infrastructure (bicyclecouncil.com.au). Retrieved 2023-10-05.